Right arm... over

Like his bowling, and his personality, the end of his extraordinary career was understated.

In the serenity that comes on the fifth day of a drawn Test, the batsmen practising their shots, the bowlers perfecting the line for the next match — after India had done enough to ensure there were no mishaps, and not well enough to pull off a miraculous win — Anil Kumble revealed to the world what he had decided the previous night.

As the Sunday afternoon crowd was getting in a festive mood, relishing VVS Laxman’s elegant flicks and Sourav Ganguly’s last few silken drives at the Kotla, a sign went up on .the two giant screens in the stadium. It read: “Anil Kumble has decided to retire after this Test match”.

The applause, at first muffled, became a deafening roar as Kumble waved from the dressing-room balcony, and reached a euphonious crescent do as the Indian captain walked on to the field through a corridor lined by his teammates,raising his faded Test cap.

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